Rananculus &#39;Absalecami&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Ranunculus  cultivar named ‘ABSALECAMI’ is disclosed, characterized by unique lavender-pink and green colored flowers. The corolla is spherical when mature. Plants are highly productive. The new variety is a  Ranunculus , normally produced as a cut flower and potentially useful as an ornamental plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Ranunculus asiaticus.

Variety denomination: ‘ABSALECAMI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Ranunculus cultivar is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the inventor, Alberto Biancheri at a research nursery inCamporosso Mare, Italy. The cross resulting in this new variety was madeduring 2011.

The seed parent is the unpatented, proprietary variety referred to asRanunculus ‘99-5/4’. The pollen parent is the unpatented, proprietaryvariety referred to as Ranunculus ‘VLS141’. The new variety wasdiscovered in 2015 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resultingfrom the 2011 crossing, in a research greenhouse in Camporosso Mare,Italy.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first performed byvegetative division of buds sprouting from the rhizome of the selectedplant. Subsequent propagation has been performed by tissue culture.First propagation took place at a research greenhouse in CamporossoMare, Italy in 2015 and has shown that the unique features of thiscultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in multiple successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘ABSALECAMI’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘ABSALECAMI’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘ABSALECAMI’ as a new and distinct Ranunculuscultivar:

-   -   1. Unique corolla color combination of pink-lavender and green.    -   2. Spherical shape of the flower when it is fully open.    -   3. High productivity.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABSALECAMI’ are similar to plants of theseed parent, in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants ofthe new cultivar ‘ABSALECAMI’ differ in the following;

-   -   1. Corolla color of the new variety is different than that of        the seed parent.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABSALECAMI’ are similar to plants of thepollen parent, in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants ofthe new cultivar ‘ABSALECAMI’ differ in the following;

-   -   1. Flower shape or the new variety is spherical, the pollen        parent produces as half-spherical flower.    -   2. Flower color of the new variety is different than that of the        pollen parent.    -   3. Vegetative carriage is the new variety is lower growing than        that of the pollen parent.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABSALECAMI’ are comparable to the commercialvariety Ranunculus ‘ABOGMA’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,046. The twoRanunculus varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics;however, the new variety ‘ABSALECAMI’ differs in the following:

-   -   1. Flower size of the new variety is 8 to 10 cm wide. Flower        size of ‘ABOGMA’ is on average 9 to 13 cm wide.    -   2. Combination of colors in the corolla is different. The new        variety produces petals of Purple N79A, Yellow-Green 145C, and        Red-Purple 73C. Petals of ‘ABOGMA’ are colored Red-Purple 65A,        65B and Yellow-Green 144A.    -   3. Stamens are present in the new variety, not present in        ‘ABOGMA’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates a close up of plantparts.

FIG. 2 illustrates in full color a close-up view of an individualflower.

FIG. 3 illustrates flowering plants of the new variety at approximatelyeight months old, grown in a greenhouse. The photographs were takenusing conventional techniques and although colors may appear differentfrom actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate aspossible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart 6^(th) edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The followingobservations and measurements describe 5-month-old ‘ABSALECAMI’ plantsgrown in a greenhouse in Camporosso Mare, Italy. The plant described hasbeen cultivated in the month of March. In order to protect the cropagainst pests, some chemical treatments are performed. Treatments withgrowth regulators can be performed to limit the plant sizes. Inparticular, no growth regulators have been applied on the plantdescribed. The rhizome has been planted on raised benches in a peat andpumice substrate mixture. The growing temperature ranged from 12° C. to24° C. during the day and from 0° C. to 6° C. during the night. Generallight conditions are bright, normal sunlight. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Ranunculus asiaticus ‘ABSALECAMI’.-   Propagation:    -   -   Time to rooting.—15 days at approximately 10-12° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plantlet.—20 days.        -   Root description.—Tuberous root.-   Plant:    -   -   Growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial, robust plant, erect            vegetation.        -   Height to top flower.—Average range 60 to 70 cm.        -   Leaf height.—Average range 40 to 50 cm.        -   Plant spread.—Average range 50 to 55 cm.        -   Growth rate.—Medium.        -   Branching characteristics.—Main floral stems grow from a            basal rosette with one lateral branch, which has one flower.        -   Length of lateral branches.—Average range 55 to 60 cm.        -   Diameter of lateral branches.—Average range 0.4 to 0.6 cm.        -   Texture of lateral branches.—Glabrous.        -   Internode length.—Internodes are extremely close together,            forming a basal rosette.        -   Strength of lateral branches.—Strong.        -   Color of lateral branches.—RHS Yellow Green 144A.        -   Aspect/angle of branches.—15° to 20°.        -   Number of leaves per lateral branch.—Usually 2 or 4.-   Foliage: The plant has a marked heterophylly that means that in the    same plant the leaves may have different size and arrangement    (simple, ternate and biternate), in relation to the degree of    development (young leaf and mature leaf) and their position on the    plant (basal leaf—leaf at the base of the plant—and cauline    leaf—leaf inserted at the nodes of the floral stems). In other    words, there are significant variation in leaf shape on a same    plant.    -   -   Leaf at the base of the plant.—Arrangement: Young Leaf:            Simple or ternate. Mature Leaf: Biternate. Average Length:            20 to 28 cm. Average Width: 10 to 15 cm. Overall Shape of            blade: Young Leaf: Obovate. Mature Leaf: Palmatipartite.            Dissected leaves, describe lobes, quantity of dissection:            Young leaves are generally slightly lobed; mature leaves are            generally divided in 3 lobes, each one of which further            divided. Apex: Acute. Base: Acute. Attachment: Base of the            plant. Margin: Young leaf: Crenate. Mature leaf: Dentate.            Texture of top surface: Slightly tomentose. Texture of            bottom surface: Slightly tomentose. Appearance of top            surface: Matte. Appearance bottom surface: Matte. Leaf            internode length: The internodes are extremely close            together, forming a basal rosette. Color: Young foliage            upper side: RHS Green 137B. Young foliage under side: RHS            Green 138B. Mature foliage upper side: RHS Green 137C.            Mature foliage under side: RHS Green 138B. Venation: Type:            Palmate; plunging into the limb at the upper surface; raised            on the limb at the lower surface. Venation color upper side:            RHS Yellow-Green 144A. Venation color under side: RHS            Yellow-Green 144A. Petiole: Appearance: Long, tubular.            Length: Average range 13 to 17 cm. Diameter: Average range            0.3 to 0.5 cm. Pubescence: Slightly tomentose. Color: RHS            Yellow-Green 144A.        -   Leaf inserted at the nodes of the floral stems.—Arrangement:            Biternate. Average Length: 15 to 20 cm. Average Width: 16 to            20 cm. Overall Shape of blade: Palmatipartite. Dissected            leaves, describe lobes, quantity of dissection: Generally            simple or divided in 2 or 3 lobes, each one of which is            further divided in some lobes. Apex: Acute. Base: Acute.            Attachment: Floral stems. Margin: Dentate. Texture of top            surface: Slightly tomentose. Texture of bottom surface:            Slightly tomentose. Appearance of top surface: Matte.            Appearance bottom surface: Matte. Leaf internode length:            Average 3 to 5 cm. Color: Foliage upper side: RHS Green            137C. Foliage under side: RHS Green 138B. Venation: Type:            Dichotomous, plunging into the limb at the upper surface and            raised on the limb at the lower surface. Venation color            upper side: RHS Yellow-Green 144A. Venation color under            side: RHS Yellow-Green 144A. Petiole: Appearance: Slightly            flat. Length: Average range 2 to 5 cm. Diameter: Average            range 0.1 to 0.3 cm. Pubescence: Slightly tomentose. Color:            RHS Yellow-Green 144A.-   Flower:    -   -   Quantity per plant.—8 to 10.        -   Bloom period.—Winter to Spring.        -   Vase life (cut flower).—20 to 25 days.        -   Persistent or self-cleaning.—Self-Cleaning.        -   Bud.—Closed bud: Shape: Flattened globular. Length: Average            range 1.0 to 1.5 cm. Diameter: Average range 1.5 to 2.0 cm.            Color: RHS Green 137B, Purple N79A at the margin. Slightly            open bud: Shape: Flattened globular. Length: Average range            1.5 to 2.0 cm. Diameter: Average range 3.0 to 3.5 cm. Color:            RHS Yellow-Green 150D.        -   Flower.—Diameter: Average 8 to 10 cm. Height: Average 4 to 5            cm.        -   Corolla.—Round, regular, in the form of a flat section, with            slightly festooned edges.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Imbricated, disposed on the receptacle            in very tight verticils. The size of the petals is quite            variable, according to the position in the corolla,            decreasing from the exterior toward the center. Lobe Length:            Average range 1.5 to 4.5 cm. Lobe Width: Average range 2.0            to 3.0 cm. Quantity: Double flower, petals are very numerous            (>100). Texture: Resistant. Lobe Apex: Truncate. Lobe shape:            Fan-shaped. Margin: Entire, finely crenate. Aspect:            Fan-shape, festooned, rhomboid. Color when opening: Upper            surface: RHS Yellow-Green 145C. Lower surface: RHS            Yellow-Green 145C at the base, Purple N79A at center/apex.            Color Fully opened: Upper surface: RHS Yellow-Green 145C at            the base, Yellow-Green 144A in the center. Lower surface:            RHS Yellow-Green 145C at the base, Yellow-Green 144A in the            center, Red-Purple 73C from center to margin, matte.        -   Calyx/sepals.—Quantity per flower: 6 to 9. Shape: Concave.            Length: Average 3 to 4 cm. Width: Average 1 to 2 cm. Apex:            Rounded. Base: Flat. Margin: Entire. Texture: Lower surface:            Tomentose. Upper surface: Glabrous. Color: Upper Surface:            RHS Yellow-Green 146D. Lower Surface: RHS Green 137B,            Red-Purple N79A at the margin.        -   Peduncle.—None.        -   Pedicel.—Length: Average range 55 to 65 cm. Diameter:            Average range 0.8 to 1.1 cm. Color: RHS Yellow-Green 144A.            Orientation: Upright. Pubescence: Slightly tomentose.        -   Fragrance.—None.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Androecium.—Stamens: Present, with a short white filament.            Anther shape: Longer than wide. Anther length: Average 0.1            to 0.3 cm. Anther color: RHS Yellow 7A, Red-Purple N79D at            the center.        -   Gynoecium.—The pistils are numerous, short, locked together            at the center of the corolla, dome-shaped apocarpous            gynoecium. Pistil color: RHS Red-Purple N79D. Nectar glands:            Absent.-   Other characteristics:    -   -   Disease resistance.—Neither resistance nor susceptibility to            normal diseases and pests of Ranunculus observed.        -   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance.—No differences have            been noted in comparison to the common tolerance            characteristics to other Ranunculus cultivars.        -   Fruit/seed production.—Not observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ranunculus named‘ABSALECAMI’ as herein illustrated and described.